The NBA is full of talent, but it is not always full of opportunity. Malachi Flynn is a player who would likely be completely out of the rotation on a fully healthy Detroit Pistons roster despite the Pistons being the league’s worst team.
Instead, with Cade Cunningham an 11th-hour scratch, Flynn got a huge opportunity against the Atlanta Hawks, and he turned that into only the third 50-point game from a reserve since the NBA started tracking the stat.
Flynn scored 50 points on an efficient 18-of-25 shooting and added six rebounds, five assists, and three steals.